Recently Active Boxers Who are HOF Material?
who among these boxers deserved to be inducted in the HOF...
Diego Corrales
Jose Luis Castillo
Joel Casamayor
Arturo Gatti
Rosendo Alvarez
Tim Austin
Fernando Vargas
Sven Ottke
Sadly on that list its hard to pick out a real HoF'er.
Diego Corrales - Is closish, especially when you figure in his early career (alot of people only look at his career from Mayweather forward). He lost his series with Casamayor, his series with Castillo was tainted (mainly by Castillo) so who knows how it would have gone, Mayweather blew him out (fight might have gone slightly better at 135). His biggest most clean win came against Freitas. Those are his best opponent and he went 3-4 against them. Other notable wins were against guys like St. Claire, Garcia, Gainer, and Manfreddy. Don't know if there is enough there to put him over the top. Still his will be a close call.
Jose Luis Castillo - He is going to be another close call, but I think he is actually slightly further away than Corrales. He really only had a brief time when he was a dominant fighter. He didn't start to break through until 99 when he beat guys like Paez and Quinonez, but those guys were hardly world beaters. First big break came in going 1-0-1 with Stevie Johnston (who I believe belongs in the IBHoF more than Castillo does), then the 2 Mayweather fights (hard to place a guy whose biggest moments came in defeat). His dominant period was from 04-05 starting with the bloody war against Lazcano, then won a very close fight (the 2 judges that had Castillo had him by too much of a margin) against Casamayor, then he beat Julio Diaz. Then came the Corrales fights one of which he lost and the other was the contreversial "weight issue" fight. After these fights he was basically a journeyman. So does he get in on such a brief period of dominance?
Joel Casamayor - This is the only one I voted for on the whole list to actually make it. Career had multiple peaks and valleys but he maintained a certain level throughout. His losses were all of the razor thin (even contreversial) variety. He looked like he was dead and burried several times only to rise againand put on good performances again.
Arturo Gatti - People only mentioned him as a possible candidate for a short time and I think it was more emotionally based than factually based. He beat some good fighters Patterson, Dorin, Leija (out of his prime), Ward, Branco, & Ruelas, but he never beat a truelly great fighter (even McGuigan had Pedroza on his resume) and those wins don't add up to HoF.
Rosendo Alvarez - Probably not, just an alphabet titlist whose biggest moment was a draw (Lopez was at the end) against a man who broke their tie in the next fight. He fought Lopez closer than anyone else in his career, but Lopez was basically just putting a bow on his career by the time he got to Alvarez. Just not enough there, especially when you consider some of his wins came against Asians, and you never know how truelly good the fighters from over there are.
Tim Austin - He along with Casamayor is the most talented fighter on this list. He had a long run as an alphabet titlist. What he and Don King did to his career, with the limited activity, was criminal. Robbed boxing fans of enjoying a great career to watch. He was dominant as a champion, but lacked the bigtime names. Johnson, Botile, Vargas, & Sor Vorapin were the best names, but I dont think it gets you in. Had he fought more and padded the record alittle more I would probably be inclined to vote fot him, but he got burried by Don King, so I dont.
Fernando Vargas - No, he didn't do enough. From 98-00 he was among the games elite (fringe top 10) with wins over Campas, Marquez, Wright (contreversial), and Quartey (Biggest career win). After this came the epic war with Trinidad and he was never the same after it. He lost all the rest of his big fights De La Hoya, Mosley, & Mayorga. He beat guys like Rivera, Castillejo, & Joval, but looked pedestrian doing it. Another guy with not enough meat on his schedule. At his best he was awsome, just wasn't there for long enough.
Sven Ottke - No
Sorry but there are just too many other fighters that are way better in this era that will go in for guys who are on the margins like this to be sure bets. Some of them might make it in due to the IBHoF's ridiculous policies, but they won't be true HoFer's.
Sven Ottke is the only one on that list who deserves it.
Spoken like a true Calzaghe fan.
Reminder everyone: No matter who you fight during your career, if you're undefeated you're an ATG. Just ask Sven Ottke.
...the fighters listed are all basically retired (I'm not sure about Casamayor, Castillo may as well be). If you want to start in that direction then Toney, Morales, Jones, Calzaghe, etc. all come into play. Which is why they weren't listed :ugh:
those four are shoo-ins
Barrera > All those fighters you listed.
...the fighters listed are all basically retired (I'm not sure about Casamayor, Castillo may as well be). If you want to start in that direction then Toney, Morales, Jones, Calzaghe, etc. all come into play. Which is why they weren't listed :ugh: